flydubai, Dubai's innovative airline, highlighted its achievements since beginning operations in June 2009, and its increasingly prominent role in Dubai's aviation sector. The airline also paid tribute to the vision and support of the Government of Dubai, recognizing its investment in infrastructure and tourism as well as its commitment to developing Dubai's aviation sector, which is expected to contribute approximately $45 billion in revenues to the emirate's GDP by 2020. Since 2009, flydubai has experienced unrivalled growth. In the past two years, it has more than doubled the number of destinations it flies to, from 25 to 52, a rate of more than one new destination per month and has increased its weekly flights to more than 1,000. flydubai has carried 10.4 million passengers since its launch and has become the second largest carrier, by passenger numbers, operating out of Dubai International. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, said: “The vision and commitment of the government has transformed Dubai into a global center for aviation, trade and tourism. Launched to support Dubai's thriving commercial and tourism sectors, flydubai's ambition and success embody the spirit of the city it represents. In its short history, flydubai has firmly established its place in the region. It has opened up new markets, contributed to increased tourism in Dubai and made a major contribution to the growth and connectivity of Dubai's aviation hub. Today, I am proud to celebrate the success of this young, ambitious airline and its positive impact on the UAE.” Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said: “When we launched in 2009, our objective was to make air travel more accessible and offer real value for passengers. We quickly identified and capitalized on opportunities offered by our proximity to the world's centers of population in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, facilitating trade and tourism with the opening of new and underserved routes. We also challenged the conventional low-cost carrier approach, offering our passengers added-value services at affordable prices.” “The success of our sustainable business model is evident in our financial and operating performance. We moved into the black for the second half of 2011, delivering three consecutive semi-annual periods of profitable growth,” he added. “In 2012, we carried 5.1 million passengers and with the addition of the Ha'il route in Saudi Arabia starting today, we have a network of 52 destinations served by a fleet of 28 aircraft.” flydubai has a committed leadership, sustainable business model and a well-defined strategy for growth. Six new aircraft will be delivered in 2013 to meet demand on busy routes and enable the airline to reach new destinations. Since the beginning of the year two new routes – Malé in the Maldives and Ha'il in Saudi Arabia have joined flydubai's network. Multan and Sialkot in Pakistan will commence in March. flydubai is confident that the outlook is promising for 2013 and beyond. — SG
